A humble page fathers a child by the daughter of a clan official and is banished. Years later, the child, now a stable boy, is reunited with his father, but feudal codes threaten their happiness. Uchida’s poignant masterpiece condemns the inflexible class system and launches an indictment of values that favor symbolic objects over human life. The film’s focus is on character rather than swordplay, and charged performances - especially child actor Motoharu Ueki - add to the emotional power.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Shūji SanoNot listed | Not listed |
 Isuzu YamadaNot listed | Not listed |
 Motoharu UekiNot listed | Not listed |
 Shinobu ChiharaNot listed | Not listed |
| KKenji SusukidaNot listed | Not listed |
 Kokuten KōdōNot listed | Not listed |
 Eitarō ShindōNot listed | Not listed |
 Tsuyako OkajimaNot listed | Not listed |
 Yoshio YoshidaNot listed | Not listed |
 Koji ArimaNot listed | Not listed |
| NNaojiro UemuraNot listed | Not listed |
| SShigetoshi YodaNot listed | Not listed |
| 不不二和子Not listed | Not listed |
| CChietaro KataokaNot listed | Not listed |
| RRyuji KazukiNot listed | Not listed |
| KKinnosuke FujikiNot listed | Not listed |
| HHideo ShimadaNot listed | Not listed |
| RReiko MiyamaNot listed | Not listed |
| NNamiji UmemuraNot listed | Not listed |
 Satomi OkaNot listed | Not listed |
| TTsukie MatsuuraNot listed | Not listed |
| KKikue MōriNot listed | Not listed |
 Tamami NatsuNot listed | Not listed |
| MMasao HoriNot listed | Not listed |
| KKinnosuke TakamatsuNot listed | Not listed |